February 17, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Trump’s war with the Deep State and the future of public service and democracy – February 16, 2025

58 minutes

The Trump Administration is actively seeking to destroy the public service and the protections offered by government. What does this mean for the future of the democracy and for the future of the country? Who will will stand up for public services that we’ve long come to rely on for public safety, clean water, air, health and financial protections? What is the role of the courts in preventing Trump’s complete takeover of the government? Can the courts slow down the the destruction of the public service? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Mark Tushnet is William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School. He’s the author of The Pasts and Futures of the Administrative State And Trust the science, do your research. Comment on the unfortunate revival of the progressive case for the administrative state.

Stephen Skowronek is Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political Science and Professor in the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University. He is the author of The Policy State: An American Predicament and co-author of the book Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic: The Deep State and the Unitary Executive. He is also author of the forthcoming book The Adaptability Paradox: Political Inclusion and Constitutional Resilience, out in August 2025.

John A. Dearborn is a Assistant Professor of Political Science and Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Dean’s Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of Power Shifts: Congress and Presidential Representation and Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic: The Deep State and the Unitary Executive (coauthored with Stephen Skowronek and Desmond King).

This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker and Sudd Dongre.

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